Hesparia's Tears (22 page)

Trying to avoid the twinge of her bladder, Jessa sat back. “Okay then. I have arranged the first sixty berths, forming them into small groups as Galan suggested. That should make keeping track of them easier. He is going to have them transported to the cruiser on arrival, but I’d like to get the next lot organised well before they arrive.” Jessa thought of the three weeks she had been ploughing through the details. Each woman’s file had to be transmitted to them. After that she had been trying to work out the best way to group the women and arranging details of the amount of luggage each was allowed to bring. She yawned again.

“Jessa, I don’t like to pry… But, are you okay?” Emily peered at her and Jessa knew she had her suspicions. Ones that she and Galan had decided to ignore as best they could. They both agreed making any form of announcement could increase the probability of attack. So far, they had managed to ignore the constant protestors although their numbers had dwindled, but if word leaked out…
A human hybrid
… Well, they could well imagine the outcome. So instead, Jessa smiled. “I’m fine. Just caught a flu and still trying to shake off the after affects.”

She could see Emily was unconvinced but there wasn’t much else she could do. Instead she smiled brightly. “Leave those files here and I’ll keep going.”

Emily popped the files on a clear spot on the heavy wood desk.

“Oh look at the time. Galan will be sending the car soon. Let me know when it arrives.” If she could end the conversation and get Emily out of there she could stand and use the small toilet at the back of her office.

Her assistant nodded and left the room. Jessa gave her a moment and stood, stretching her back before she headed for the bathroom.

As she returned, she heard a noise outside in the corridor. “Emily? Is everything okay?” She headed for the door, but sprang back as it crashed open.

Jace and a man she didn’t recognise stood before her.

Jessa backed away. “How in hell did you get here?” She narrowed her eyes, hoping to distract the two while she surreptitiously pressed the distress button below her desk.

“Jessa. You should have realised I was going to come back for you. After all, you were mine before and I don’t want to see you sullied by that filthy alien.” He advanced and while her senses screamed at her to retreat, she stayed firm.
Where in hell were Danni and Emily?
Her stomach jostled at the thought that something might have happened to them. Particularly Danni. She’d grown very close to the agent who was now Seth’s lover. “Where are…?” Her voice broke a little and Jace smiled.

“Where are the two women?” She needed to know. If she’d thought he cared a whit about Seth, she would have revealed that Danni and Seth were very much together as a couple, but she feared Jace would only see that as leverage.

“The women?” He chuckled and the evil sound soured her stomach. Unfortunately one tried to stop me. I had to take some steps… I had to stop her, a little more permanently than planned. The other? Well, I don’t know if or when she’ll be coming around.”

Danni? Emily? Could they both be dead? Because Jace wants me for some misguided plan that would supposedly prove the strength of his cult?
“Why on earth do you want me so badly?”

He stopped. “I didn’t think you were so blind. But then… When I think back on the heist, I forget how trusting you can be.”

The man with him snickered.

She backed away as they came closer.

“You have become very well known. In fact, you are the face of inter-species relations these days. That makes you a valuable commodity.” He smiled as he indicated his friend should come closer.

Jessa backed up farther, finding herself against the cold hard wall. The man grabbed her wrist in a painfully tight grip.

“If I can get you to renounce the evil that the aliens represent, then we have a hope of stopping this purchase of human brides.”

He squeezed the wrists in his meaty hand, winding a cord around them. The grip pinched and she cried out. “Now, now, Jessa. There’s nothing to be a baby about. We just want to be sure that you stay with us.” He leered.

Then she was shoved forward roughly. “We should tape her mouth up, so she can’t cry out.”

Jace nodded, reaching into the backpack she hadn’t seen on his shoulder. He fished around and as Jessa opened her mouth to cry out, the man holding her clapped a hand over it. Jace threw the tape to her captor who caught it in one hand. The first real stirrings of panic nearly drowned Jessa. She had to get out of this… Away from Jace, his henchman and this mad plot.

The rip of the tape caught her attention as he lifted his hand. She screamed loudly. He hit her, just a glancing blow but enough to make her head ache and stop the noise. Then the tape was shoved over her lips and mouth, stopping any further loud sounds from escaping. She tugged and pulled as he gripped her other arm and tied the two wrists together then the intruder laughed again.

“Now, Jessa, I do apologise for Michael’s behaviour, but you must understand. It is necessary for us to stop you making decisions that will affect your life negatively.” Jace ogled her and not for the first time she found her skin crawling as she thought of the one single night she had allowed him to touch her.

“Jace? We’d better be leaving.” The man, Michael, indicated to the door and Jace nodded.

They both gripped her arms at the elbow, pulling her along to the doorway. She twisted and fought but neither of her assailants paid her much attention while they towed her along. As she got to the door, she stuck out a foot, trying valiantly to stop the motion.
Don’t let them take you somewhere else,
ran like a constant recording in her head and she tried to hold on to the jamb, scraping her skin when they tugged her away.

She slipped and fell but they picked her up while she bucked. With muttered imprecations the big man swung her up, over his shoulder like a bag of potatoes.

She kicked out with her legs. A grunt told her she’d hurt him so she did it again. This time he hit her with his palm across the head. It already ached and this made the situation worse. Things looked grim and she tried to focus on a way to escape.

* * * *

Galan sat in the office, watching his chronogram, waiting to reach the time he could take Jessa home. His small palm unit held strategic information to help them reach Hesparia. He’d been calculating the levels of fuel required allowing for the extra passengers and weight allocations as well as preparing a report to transmit to his father. He’d avoided this until he’d had some definite information to give him.

The telephone trilled.
I much prefer communicators.
He lifted the antiquated receiver to his ear. “Galan here.”

“Sir? Captain?” The voice on the other side had an uncertain and worried sound to it. It caught his attention immediately. “There’s a situation. Miss Bankia’s office panic button has been enabled.”

Galan was out of his chair, his system flooding with adrenalin. He tapped his communicator. “Joras? Get the security team. Jessa’s office has been breached.” He castigated himself. After weeks of quiet they’d stopped expecting anything to happen and had relaxed their security protocols.

He stalked the distance to the door and wrenched it open. They’d been placed in two different buildings. And even though they were side by side, she’d had her own personal guard in Danni. What had happened to her? He didn’t want to think about it. He knew Jessa was fond of the woman and he admitted to some level of affection for the woman who had paired up with Seth.

Joras met him at the door. “I have the men ready to go in. But…” His friend looked at him and Galan knew his thoughts, having been taken into their confidence during the briefing session for this part of the mission. They didn’t want to risk Jessa or the child with a mistake. His stomach clenched.

“We have to get her out safely.” He growled as rage coursed through him. The intelligence that Agent Foley had shared was that Jace was under surveillance and unlikely to be a problem. But he had privately shared his disquiet with that analysis. Jace had been seen in the area lately. He knew which building they worked in, having been spied driving by and he’d previously considered his interest in Jessa was quite specific. But with no action, they had all believed he’d given up.

“Whatever it takes, Joras.”

Joras put a hand on his arm and he had to fight to stop shrugging the comforting touch away. “We’ll get her out safely.”

Their men piled into the corridor, laser pistols in hand. With a single nod they moved, flowing against walls as they headed out to save the consort of their prince. Galan watched as a feeling of helplessness overcame him.

Jessa. His Jessa was in danger.

He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes as fear overtook him.

* * * *

Jessa kicked out again, this time earning an
oomph
. The man stumbled. She pushed against him in that instant and managed to break free of his hold. There was no way she was going to give in easily. With a thud, Jessa hit the floor and used her knees to shove herself away as quickly as she could. But it wasn’t nearly quickly enough as someone grabbed her ankle. She kicked out again, striking flesh and tried to scramble in the opposite direction. “Stay still, bitch!” Jace grabbed her hair. With a single move he cracked her head against the floor. She lay, panting and moaning behind the tape.
Galan!
Her heart cried out to him, but this time she was sure all was lost.

Tears and some wet sticky liquid seeped down her face, stinging her eyes while she lay on the floor. She spied a hand beneath the desk that was in her line of sight. It moved and twitched, feeling her stomach roil at the pain that racked her head. It waved slightly and she peered as hard as she could. A face.
Danni.

Danni frowned at her, lips firming in anger. Jessa took heart and made to struggle again, but Danni shook her head while her mouth formed a ‘no’. Jessa stopped still. Understanding came in a wave. She was looking for an opportunity. Jessa blinked once to show she understood and stilled her shaking body.

“About time you came to your senses.”

He gripped her shirt and pulled her upright, preparing to put her over his shoulder again. “Don’t fight me, or you won’t like the consequences.” He purred the words as he slid his hand over her breast.

She recoiled.

He laughed. “Maybe you’ll like it so much, you won’t want to go back to him. After all, how well can an alien fuck anyway?” Her stomach heaved at his words and he must have heard the moan, her body clenched reacting to him. “Not going to be sick on me, are you?” His voice sounded uncertain and a shudder racked her as he tried to heave her up.

In that instant, Danni sprang from her hiding spot with a long and heavy stapler in her hands. She moved towards them. Michael stepped in front of Jace and they grappled. Michael might have had size on his side, but Danni was trained and angry. She threw him with some kind of martial arts move and he dropped to the floor, doubled over and sobbing as she sank the toe of her boots into his gut. Then she headed for Jace. He started running.

Jessa bounced on his shoulder, each move jarring her tender head. Danni jumped and caught him, flying in his direction and he moved with a jerk and a howl. He turned and Jessa could see the way he fished in the pocket of the light-blue jacket for something. Danni stopped and swore. Jessa couldn’t see why, slung against his back, but she started moving. Jessa kicked out at him while she twisted and turned in his grip.

Danni grabbed at him as the door at the back of the building crashed open.

Jace stopped dead in the middle of the hallway. “Fine. Anyone move and I’ll kill her.” With a single move, Jace hauled Jessa to the floor and pressed something cold and round into her side.

Dear God
. Was it a gun? Sobbing with fright, Jessa stood still. How were they going to get out of this? She shuddered with fear and he hauled her closer. “Stay still, damn it.”

She looked into his wild eyes, seeing how they scanned from side to side. What chance did she have? They wouldn’t let Jace take her and he’d rather her dead than with them. She moaned again behind the tape. Jace looked down.

In that instant, Danni sprang again, throwing herself upon the arm that held the gun. A bang was met with a
fzzt
. Jace fell and so did Danni with a loud thud.

Jessa hit the floor with a stunning blow. This time it was one injury too many and she fainted.

* * * *

Jessa woke to find Galan looming over her. “She’s waking up.”

The sounds were so darned loud. She winced. “Could you…you know, keep it down a little?” Her head hurt, her lips stung and itched, and wherever she was lying wasn’t terribly comfortable.

Then it came rushing back. The attack when Jace had broken into her office. “Danni? Emily?”

Galan frowned.

“The baby?” He turned and she saw the healer who had seen her before.

His long thin face sported a deep frown as he checked her over. “The foetus seems to have weathered the attack infinitely better than Jessa.” He shook his head. “I’d really prefer to have her back at the ship now.”

Galan rose to his knees and Jessa realised she was lying on the carpet.

“She’ll be fine to lift?” Galan looked at the healer who nodded slowly. With great care he lifted Jessa into his arms and pushed off the floor with a grunt. She winced a little as the action jarred her aching head and a buzzing sound rang through her brain.

“Danni?” Galan looked at her, obviously the thin sound of her voice concerning him.

“She’ll be fine. She only received a flesh wound from the bullet and has a good size lump on her head.”

She opened her mouth to ask about Emily and caught the look in his eye. “Emily didn’t make it.”

Jessa sighed even as her eyes ached. Emily shouldn’t have died. There was no reason she should have been involved. She’d been in the wrong place at the wrong time. “Has someone…?”